Shoe sole having heel cushioning member

ABSTRACT

A shoe sole includes a resilient cushioning device engaged in the heel portion for cushioning heel portions of users, the resilient cushioning device includes one frame member resiliently supported above another frame member, and a number of cushioning members disposed between the frame members, to provide a resilience to cushion and support the heel portions of the users. The cushioning members of different resilience may be changeably disposed or engaged between the frame members, according to the users&#39; need, or according to the weights of the users, in order to suitably support various kinds of users.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shoe sole, and more particularly to ashoe sole having a resilient cushioning device for the heel portionthereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical shoe soles may comprise one or more bladders or air chambersformed in the shoe soles, to increase the resilience of the shoe soles,and to resiliently support the heel portions of the users.

However, the bladders or the air chambers formed in the shoe soles maynot be used to effectively cushion the heel portions of the users.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional shoe soles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shoe soleincluding a resilient cushioning device for attaching to the heelportion thereof to effectively cushion the heel portions of the users,and thus to comfortably support the heel portions of the users.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shoesole comprising a resilient cushioning device engaging in a heel portionof the shoe sole, the resilient cushioning device comprising a lowerframe member, an upper frame member disposed above the lower framemember, a coupling device for coupling the lower and the upper framemembers together, and a number of cushioning members disposed betweenthe lower and the upper frame members, and having a resilience toprovide a cushioning force between the frame members, and to cushionusers.

The lower and the upper frame members each includes at least one recessformed therein to stably receive and retain the cushioning membersbetween the lower and the upper frame members. The coupling deviceincludes at least one arm coupled between the lower and the upper framemembers, to resiliently couple the upper and the lower frame memberstogether.

Each of the lower and the upper frame members includes an innerperipheral portion having the arm coupled therebetween. The lower andthe upper frame members each includes an opening formed therein todefine the inner peripheral portion thereof.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of a shoe sole in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a resilient cushioning device for theshoe sole;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the resilient cushioning device forthe shoe sole, taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating another arrangement of theresilient cushioning device for the shoe sole, which is in an openposition;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the resilient cushioning device as shown inFIG. 4, which is in a closed or folded position;

FIG. 6 is a side plan view of the resilient cushioning device as shownin FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the resilient cushioning device,taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the resilient cushioning device as shownin FIGS. 5-7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a shoe sole 10 inaccordance with the present invention comprises a rear or heel portion11 for supporting heel portions of users, a front portion 12 forsupporting front foot portions of the users, and a resilient cushioningdevice 20 attached or engaged in the heel portion 11 of the shoe sole 10to effectively cushion the heel portions of the users.

The resilient cushioning device 20 may be engaged into the heel portion11 of the shoe sole 10 while molding the shoe sole 10, or may be engagedinto the heel portion 11 of the shoe sole 10 after the shoe sole 10 hasbeen molded, and includes two frame members 30, 40 arrangedsubstantially parallel to each other (FIGS. 1-3) as seen from the sideportion of the resilient cushioning device 20.

The resilient cushioning device 20 further includes a number ofresilient or spring balls or bladders or balloons or spherical orspatial cushioning members 50 disposed or arranged between the framemembers 30, 40, and having a suitable resilience to provide a suitablecushioning force between the frame members 30, 40, and thus to suitablycushion the heel portions of the users.

The first or the lower frame member 30 is located below the second orthe upper frame member 40, and includes one or more recesses 31 formedor provided in the upper portion thereof, and the upper frame member 40also includes one or more recesses 41 formed or provided in the lowerportion thereof, for stably receiving and retaining the spatialcushioning members 50 between the frame members 30, 40.

Each of the frame members 30, 40 includes an opening 32, 42 formed orprovided in an inner portion thereof, to form or define an innerperipheral portion 33, 43 respectively. The resilient cushioning device20 further includes a coupling means or device 60 resiliently coupledbetween the frame members 30, 40, to further suitably and resilientlycouple the frame members 30, 40 together.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the coupling device 60 includesone or more resilient or spring and/or C-shaped ribs or arms 61 providedor coupled between the frame members 30, 40, by such as molding, moldinjection processes, or by adhering materials, or the like, toresiliently couple the frame members 30, 40 together, and preferablyincludes one or more slots 63 formed or located between the spring ribsor arms 61, to further increase a resilience of the coupling device 60.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 4-8, the spring ribs or arms 61 of thecoupling device 60 may be formed or extended from or coupled between theside or outer peripheral portion of the frame members 30, 40respectively, and the coupling device 60 may also includes one or moreslots 63 formed or located between the spring ribs or arms 61, toincrease the resilience of the coupling device 60.

The coupling device 60 may further include one or more spring orresilient stays 64 formed or extended from the frame members 30, 40respectively, and arranged offset from each other, to allow the springstays 64 to be arranged or located side by side (FIGS. 5, 6) after theframe members 30, 40 are disposed or arranged in parallel to each other,in order to suitably provide a resilience or cushioning force betweenthe frame members 30, 40.

The upper or the lower frame member 30 includes a catch 34 extendedtherefrom, and the lower or the upper frame member 40 includes a locknotch 44 formed therein for receiving the catch 34, and one or moreprotrusions 45 extended into the lock notch 44 thereof, for engagingwith the catch 34, and for detachably or openably securing the upper andthe lower frame member 40, 30 together, and to maintain the he upper andthe lower frame member 40, 30 in parallel to each other.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 1, due to the engagement or the moldingof the frame members 30, 40 of the resilient cushioning device 20 withinthe heel portion 11 of the shoe sole 10, and due to the resilientsupport of the upper frame member 40 above the lower frame member 30with the cushioning members 50, the resilient cushioning device 20 maybe used to provide a suitable resilience to cushion and to comfortablysupport the heel portions of the users.

It is to be noted that the resilient cushioning device 20 may furtherinclude the other cushioning members 50 of different resilience, whichmay be selectively and changeably engaged into or disposed between theframe members 30, 40, according to the users' need, or according to theweights of the users, in order to suitably support various kinds ofusers.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the frame members 30, 40 andthe cushioning members 50 are partially exposed and may be seen orreached from outside of the shoe sole 10, to allow the cushioningmembers 50 of different resilience to be selectively and changeablyengaged into or disposed between the frame members 30, 40.

Accordingly, the shoe sole in accordance with the present inventionincludes a resilient cushioning device for attaching to the heel portionthereof to effectively cushion the heel portions of the users, and thusto comfortably support the heel portions of the users.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A resilient cushioning device engaging in a heel portion of a shoesole, said resilient cushioning device comprising: a lower frame member,an upper frame member disposed above said lower frame member, means forcoupling said lower and said upper frame members together, and aplurality of cushioning members disposed between said lower and saidupper frame members, and having a resilience to provide a cushioningforce between said frame members, and to cushion users.
 2. The shoe soleas claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower and said upper frame memberseach includes at least one recess formed therein to stably receive andretain said cushioning members between said lower and said upper framemembers.
 3. The shoe sole as claimed in claim 1, wherein said couplingmeans includes at least one arm coupled between said lower and saidupper frame members, to resiliently couple said upper and said lowerframe members together.
 4. The shoe sole as claimed in claim 3, whereineach of said lower and said upper frame members includes an innerperipheral portion having said at least one arm coupled therebetween. 5.The shoe sole as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lower and said upperframe members each includes an opening formed therein to define saidinner peripheral portion thereof.